he knew that he must lay down his life, he also knew that he, on the third day, was to take it again, and to die no more. Did Christ's agony in the garden arise merely from the prospect of his bodily suffering? But severe as that suffering undoubtedly was, it was not greater than many of his own martyrs have endured, not only without a murmur, but with exulting triumph. It was not so great, in point of duration at least, as the bodily suffering of the penitent thief, who, nevertheless, sustained his long-protracted tortures with meek composure; and shall we suppose that, either in the previous anticipation or the actual endurance of suffering, the servant was greater than his Lord, the great pattern of patience, who, in the spirit in which he suffered, hath left us an example that we should walk in his steps? In short, brethren, if you have by faith been with the Saviour in Gethsemane, you will be convinced that there is no rational way of accounting for the horror of great darkness which fell upon his spirit, and the sore agony which rent both his body and soul, but by having recourse to the grand Bible principle of substitution, covenant suretyship, vicarious sacrifice. And then, seeing him in the garden, you see him suffering the sense of that ineffable displeasure which the essential justice of God bears against our sins.. That, indeed, can well account for all that Jesus endured, and that alone can account for it. And that is the simple but satisfactory solution of the difficulty which is furnished by his own word,-God" made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

"The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all." Then, through the mighty travail of his soul, he restored that which he took not away. The same blessed truth was shown by the circumstance of the angel sent from heaven to strengthen him, not on, but after the conflict. That was a testimony of his Father's approbation and acceptance and it was a token also of the deep interest which the holy part of the intelligent creation were taking in his great mediatorial work, and an earnest of that celestial welcome and joyful triumph that would reward its final completion, when he should enter into his rest and find it to be glorious.

Such then, believers, are a few of those things which you see in the garden with Christ. But, in order to your reaping substantial benefit from these atoning sufferings of his, it is necessary, not merely to picture them forth to your minds as actually endured by him; you must view them with confiding, appropriating, undoubting faith as the basis of your acceptance with God, and the foundation of your hopes to eternity; you must sympathise with them, not in a spirit of mere sentimentalism, which can shed tears for suffering, unmingled with one tear for sin, but in a spirit of deadly hatred to that evil thing which laid the Saviour prostrate in the garden, and which nailed him to the tree; you must seek to be one with him and in him, so that, in the estimate of the Judge, your grief may be his, and his righteousness may be yours, in the great day of reckoning and retribution.

We have thus endeavoured, in pursuance of the plan proposed, to lead your devout contemplation to the successive consideration of these two points, viz. :

-I. Every sinner in the garden with Adam. II. Every saint in the garden with Christ.

In conclusion, let me briefly advert to the occasions upon which, and the persons by whom, the question of the text may be put to Christians in reference to Christ-" Did not I see thee in the garden with him?" 1st, As put by the world, this is a question of reproach. Such it was in the case of Peter; and you know the answer which, in an unguarded moment, he gave to it. Notwithstanding the bold avowal he had made not long before, and the solemn and repeated asseverations that, "though all men should be offended in Christ, yet should he never be offended; that, rather than deny him, he would die with him ;" yet he did once and again, even with oaths and curses, deny him -deny that he had been with him in the garden— deny that he had ever known him. My Christian friends, is that the answer which you will give to the question, in the world, notwithstanding the profession you make in the church? It may be, indeed, that the reproach addressed to you may not be conveyed in the same or similar language as was used to Peter; for, base as the world is, there are certain topics held sacred by all but the most abandoned, and one of these isthe last agonies of the Son of God. Yet we cannot forget, that even the holy ordinance of the Supper has been made the object of profane mockery. The irreverent levity and wild ribaldry of the scoffer have not always spared subjects at which angels tremble as they gaze. But even if the sufferings of Gethsemane be not so directly cast in your teeth, yet, if you are a Christian indeed, you will most certainly, in some form or other, be reproached for the name of a suffering

Saviour. Now, if your profession is worth any thing— if it be not an empty, unmeaning boast-then will you not only not be ashamed of having been with him in the garden, but will glory with him in the garden and on the cross, and will say, "If to be there is to be vile, I will be yet more vile."

But, 2d, While from the world this is a question of reproach, on the part of God it is a question of commendation. It is so now in reference to the enjoyments of holy communion. And more especially in the great day, when he shall discriminate and divide his professing people, those souls alone will be safe and happy to whom the Father can say, "Did not I see thee in the garden with my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, where he magnified the law and made it honourable?" And he will graciously look upon you in the face of his anointed. Wherefore, little children, abide in Christ, that when he shall appear ye may have confidence, and may not be ashamed before him at his coming. Amen.

SERMON VI.

"There was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald."-REVELATION, iv. 3.

"LORD," it was once asked of the master respecting the writer of this book," and what shall this man do?" And it is interesting to mark the beautiful simplicity and conscientious fidelity with which he himself reports the answer. "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not he shall not die; but, if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" It is evident that he himself did not well know what interpretation to put upon his Lord's words, and that he was left very much in the dark as to what his future fate on the earth would be; yet, not only did he restrain idle curiosity at the time, but he remained contented and happy to be at Christ's disposal either for life or death. Provided only he was permitted actually to fulfil his ministry, he would be willing to have his age prolonged beyond the common lot of man, if such should be his Lord's good pleasure, and if he might but continue to serve God in the gospel of his Son. But when his days of darkness came, and threatened